RECENT POST FROM THE BLACK BOX CLUB

Wednesday, 31 August 2011

TO THINK ONLY A FEW MONTHS BEFORE AUDIENCES HAD BEEN SMILING AND NODDING ALONG AT HIS BENT KNEE ANTICS, FIGHTING THOSE LOVABLE ANGRY PEPPER POTS THE DALEKS. NOW, AS THEY SAY, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...

SAME SCENE BUT DIFFERENT ACTRESS IN EURO PRINT

CORRUPTION WAS PRODUCED IN WHAT WERE DIFFICULT TIMES FOR PETER CUSHING. HAVING RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM ILL HEALTH AND WITH HIS WIFE HELEN ALMOST HOUSE BOUND WITH EMPHYSEMA, CUSHING WAS RELUCTANT TO TAKE ON TOO MUCH WORK AND THE CLOSER TO HIS KENT HOME THE BETTER.

IN 1967, PETER WORKED FOR SEVERAL SMALLER INDEPENDENT COMPANIES TO PRODUCE TWO VERY AVERAGE ENTRIES TO HIS C.V. BLOOD BEAST TERROR AND NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT. ALL VERY SAFE AND PREDICTABLE. BUT NO ONE COULD SEE WHAT WAS COMING...

IT WAS BRAVE CASTING FOR CUSHING, BUT MAYBE A MISTAKE.

SHOCKING TO SOME OF HIS FANS IN THE 60'S, TAME BY TODAY'S STANDARDS... BUT FOR ONCE THE PUBLICITY WAS RIGHT.

Friday, 26 August 2011

THE PETER CUSHING INN IN WHITSTABLE HAD IT'S GRAND OPENING ON TUESDAY 23RD. A VERY NICE IT LOOKS TOO.

AT THE COST OF OVER 1.5 MILLION, J.D. WETHERSPOONS HAVE CONVERTED WHAT WAS ONCE A REAL EYESORE IN THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TOWN OF WHITSTABLE, KENT INTO A REAL
GEM.

ALONG WITH THE PETER CUSHING EXHIBITION AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY, PETER'S HOME AND IT'S BLUE PLAQUE, THE FABULOUS SEA VIEW AND THE TUDOR TEA ROOMS, THIS ADDS ANOTHER PLACE TO VISIT WHEN MAKING YOUR VISIT TO PETER'S ADOPTED HOME TOWN.

THE BUILDING WAS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS THE LOCAL CINEMA. OVER TIME, AS WITH MANY OF THE UK'S CINEMA BUILDINGS, SHRINKING CINEMA AUDIENCES CAUSED THE DECLINE OF MANY CINEMA'S AND THE BUILDING BECAME A BINGO HALL. UNTIL THAT TOO PULLED DOWN THE SHUTTERS AND THE ONCE LOVELY ART DECOR BUILDING WAS CLOSED AND BOARDED, AWAITING TO BE SOLD ON.

OFTEN THESE BUILDINGS ARE CONVERTED INTO CARPET OR CAR SALES BUISNESESS. BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY ARE TORN DOWN AND THE SPACE USED FOR CAR PARKING.

BUT, THANKFULLY...NOT IN THIS CASE.
MANY OF THE CINEMAS FITTINGS AND FIXTURES HAVE SURVIVED AND ARE NOW ON DISPLAY. THE PROJECTOR AND THE SOUND SYSTEM, ARE ALL STYLISH NODS FROM ANOTHER MORE GENTILE AND SOPHISTICATED TIME...AS INDEED, WAS PETER.

THE PETER CUSHING IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES, DINNER AND TEA. DOORS OPEN AT 8AM AND CLOSE AT 11.PM

Sunday, 21 August 2011

HAMMER DRACULA MONTH HAS STARTED WITHIN THE BLACKBOXCLUB.COM AND THE PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FACEBOOK GROUP. JUST SOME OF THE GOODIES TO BE SAMPLED ARE 60 KEY BOOK STILLS FROM HAMMER'S 1958 DRACULA.
FOR A SHORT TIME , A FEW LONG GONE WEBSITES POSTED A SELECTION. THESE HAVE DONE THE ROUNDS OVER THE YEARS AND IT'S HARD FOR NEW FANS TO FIND MATERIAL FOR THEIR COLLECTIONS...SO HERE'S ANOTHER 60...!

ALONG WITH THE STILLS THERE ARE ALSO GOODIES LIKE THE BERNARD DRACULA SIGNATURE NOTES, WRITTEN AND SIGNED BERNARD'S HAND.

THE MARKETING MATERIAL AND PRESS AD'S FROM THE U.S ALSO ARE FEATURED ALONG WITH SOME STUNNING ORIGINAL ARTWORK FROM DRACULA BY BERNARD ROBINSON.

SOME MATERIAL IS SURE TO BE FAMILIAR
TO THE MORE SEASONED COLLECTOR, BUT THE INTENTION IS TO SHARE THE MATERIAL, THAT SEEMS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED INTO PRIVATE BOTTOM DRAWERS OUT THERE...

FOR THE NEW FANS WHO HAVE JOINED PCAS AND THE BLACKBOXCLUB IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT MANY SEASONED FANS HAVE ENJOYED FOR A LONG TIME...

THE MATERIAL WILL BE UPLOADED OVER THE MONTH. SO DO CHECK FOR UPDATES AND NEW POSTS.

ALL MATERIAL WILL APPEAR IN GALLERIES AND THE PCAS ALBUMS UNWATERMARKED AND IN MOST CASES CLEANED UP AND RESTORED.

JUST HOW TRICKY IS IT TO STAKE AND SLAY A VAMPIRE? JUDGING BY THESE SNAPS FROM THE HAMMER FILMS LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHER ON THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA...QUITE TRICKY...

FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FILM OR THIS SCENE...IMAGINE ONE DAY YOU'RE A REGULAR BEER SWILLING, FAG PUFFING, GAWD BLIMEY DEDETECTIVE IN OLD LONDON TOWN, COPPING THE REGULAR VILLAINS AND ROUGH STUFFS...THE NEXT, YOU'RE FACE TO FACE WITH FEMALES WITH NASHERS AND ONLY YOUR TRUNCHEON AND A STICK TO FIGHT EM OFF!

IN REAL TERMS, FOR ACTORS WILLIAM FRANKLYN, MICHAEL COLES AND VALERIE VAN OST, IT WAS A NIGHT SHOOT IN THE COLD AND RAIN IN THE CHEERY OLD EAST END OF LONDON. THE BUDGET IS TIGHT, TIME IS TIGHTER AND THE SCRIPT CALLS FOR YOU TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH WITH A SNARLING VAMPIRE IN CHAINS...AND KILL HER WITH YOUR STICK!

BUT, AFTER SOME BLOCKING AND MOPPING OF THE WET STONE FLOOR,THEY GET IT IN THE CAN. THIS IS DIRECTORS ALAN GIBSON SECOND OUTING WITH HAMMER AND THE COUNT, NAILING VAMPIRES IN SWINGING DINGING 70'S LONDON, HAS NOW BECOME A WALK IN THE CEMETERY.. AND WHEN ALL IS SHOT, CUT AND WRAPPED, A GREAT SCENE IT TURNS OUT TO BE!

Saturday, 20 August 2011

ASK AN ARDENT PETER CUSHING FAN ABOUT THEIR LEAST FAVOURITE PETER CUSHING MOVIE AND MAYBE THEY'LL PITCH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 'THE DEVIL'S MEN' AND 'THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR'. ONE ABOUT NASTY GOINGS ON IN THE MED AND THE LATER WAS QUOTED BY CUSHING HIMSELF, AS TO BEING NOT, THAT HOT.....

TENDRE DRACULA OR LA GRANDE TROUILL..OR EVEN, CONFESSIONS OF A BLOOD DRINKER WAS MADE IN 1974...AND MORES THE PITY. FOR THE LIKES OF FANS WHO

CONSIDER CUSHING'S AWARD WINNING PERFORMANCE IN THE 1972 TALES FROM THE CRYPT TO BE THE PINNICLE, WITH THE BBC PRODUCTION OF 1984 HOLDING IT'S HAND, TENDRE DRACULA DOESN'T EVEN RATE WITH LADIES IN MOTH SUITS AND BEER BELLIED DEVIL WORSHIPERS IN GREECE. NO, TENDRE DRACULA IS SOMETHING ELSE. FOR ANYONE WHO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW IT, THAT SOMETHING ELSE, IS A SLIPPERY LABEL THAT IS HARD TO LICK AND STICK.

HOW CAN A FILM BE THIS BAD?

HOW CAN A FILM FALL ON SO MANY KNIVES?

NEXT MONTH AT THEBLACKBOXCLUB.COM WEBSITE WE'LL BE PUTTING TOGETHER THE STORY BEHIND 'THE MAKING OF A NIGHTMARE. TENDRE DRACULA. A FEATURE THAT PROMISES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION...

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